High-speed reperforator



April 13, 1954 W. J. ZENNER HIGH-SPEED REPERFORATOR Filed March 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 4

INVENTQR WALTER J. ZENNER fu fikm ATTORNEY \T I ML ls @VAV/l/l/ a 2 6 7 5 2 CONTROL CIRCUIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 10, 1950 FIG.3

INVENTQR WALTER J. ZENNER ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1954 HIGH-SPEED REPERFOBATOR Walter J. Zenner, Des Plaines, 111., assignor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, 111., a. corporation of Delaware Application March 10, 1950, Serial No. 148,797

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to tape perforating apparatus and more particularly to very high speed telegraph tape reperiorators.

Normal printing telegraph operations are conventionally carried on at speeds of between sixty and seventy-five words per minute; however, the present reperforator is designed for performance at operating speeds of between six hundred and sixteen hundred words per minute. Consequently the present reperforator is capable of facilitating substantially a great number of operations which require perforated control tapes.

Among the various uses for a reperforator of the type disclosed herein are the following:

In cross ofiioe switching systems, where trafiio must be moved speedily from a receiving posi tion to a transmitting position, the present reperiorator is readily capable of reperforating such traffic at the necessary CrOSS-cOffiCe speed.

In accumulated message clearance systems where a traffic channel is available for short periods only when it is necessary to handle large volumes of traiiic during these short periods the present reperforator greatly facilitates the receipt of such tranic by making .a perforated record of such traiiic which can be later transmitted to the desired points, at conventional speeds.

In high speed multiplex systems where several slow speed channels share a single ,high speed circuit, the present .reperforator affords a convenient medium for receiving the signals at the high multiplex speed.

The present reperforator is of particular value where it is desired to reproducemultiplecopies of a master tapeand this is particularly adapt able to the production of key code tapes for use in ciphering systems.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide reperiorator which is efficient and readily adaptable for the perforationof a tape or control form at operating speedsupto sixteen hundred words per minute.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a punchhaving an operating linkage which inclu es a knee action joint whereby a magnet, by being energized and de-enorgigedcan cause the knee action joint to break orremain rigid, thereby causing the punch to operates)? not to operate according to the condition of the magnet.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a magnet controlled ratchet feed mechanism having a knee action joint in its operating linkage to thereby enable thecontrol, of the oper ation of the mechanism in accordance withthe energized condition of the control magnet.

Broadly the invention consists of a motor driven punch mechanism with. ma net selection,

the magnets being controlled by any suitable operating circuit. No specific operating circuit for the selector magnets is shown, inasmuch as any well known operating circuit can be used for energizing the magnets and also the specific operating circuit forms no part of the subject matter of the invention. The main mechanism consists of toggle jointed connecting rod linkages, or knee action joint linkages which provide reciprocable motion of the punch pins for perforating a control form, and which bend or break at the toggle or knee action joint, thereby reducing the pin stroke, when the control form is not to be periorated.

Other ob ects and advantages will appear, and for a better understanding of the invention refer ence should be made to the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an isometric view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the circuits for energizing the selector magnets and tape feed magnet.

Referring to the drawings, a punch block H and die block H. are suitably positioned in the reperforator. The punch block i I has a plurality of punch carrying apertures i 3 within which a plurality of code punches l4 and a feed hole punch it are reciprooable. Each ofthe punches Hi and 16 has a collar I! with which a shoulder it on a socket link I 9 cooperates in order to withdraw the punch from the die block I2 within the punch block ,H. Each of the socket links l9 associated with the code punches it cooperate with a link 2| bymeans of a circular portion 22. The articulated connectionbetween the links it? and 2| enables the link 2| to pivot relative to the link It. Each of the links 21 also has another circular portion 23 which is rotatable within a socket on a cooperating linkt i. The links it are normally urged clockwise about the articulated connections with the links is by springs 25; however, an arm 25 on each of the links it limits the pivotal movement of'the links 2 l. The links 24 are all reciprocated vertically by means of eccentrics 21 mounted fixedly on a power driven shaft 2t and positioned within coilars integrally formed on the links it.

Each of the links Zlhas a projecting or block ing arm 29 which cooperates with a corresponding link 3| mounted pivotally o a shaft32.

Pivotal movement of the links 3! is under control.

of their associated selector magnets 33. When one of the magnets 33 is. energized it pulls its armature 34, which bymeans of a connecting rod 36, withdraws the associated link 3i from beneath the corresponding arm 29. Unclenthis 3 condition as the shaft 28 rotates, carrying with it the eccentrics 21, the spring 26 is effective to retain the link 2| in its rightward position against the arm thereby retaining the toggle or knee action joint in its straightened position to cause the corresponding punch l4 to be moved in the punch block H to its operating position. When the eccentric 21 rotates through its last half revolution the link 24 is raised to in turn raise the associated link 2| and punch Hi. When the selector magnet 33 is not energized, its armature is held in its released position by an associated spring 31, which causes the associated link 3| to be held beneath the projecting arm 29.

, Under this condition when the shaft 28 rotates causing the eccentric 21 to lower the link 24, downward movement of the link 2| is restrained by the blocking action of the link 3|. Thus as the link 24 is pushed downwardly further, thereby tending also to push link 2| downwardly, the arm 29 is blocked by the link 3| and link 2| pivots counterclockwise around the point of contact between the arm 29 and the link ill. The spring 26 yields, allowing the arm 25 to break contact with the link 2|, and the connection between the links 24 and 2| at the circular portion 23 moves to the left and slightly downward. When the toggle joint connecting the links 2! and 24 breaksin this manner the corresponding punch pin l4, though lowered somewhat, is not lowered sufficiently to enter the die block l2 and thus a tape positioned between the punch and die blocks is not perforated.

' The feed hole punch I6 'is operated so as to enter the die block during each revolution of the power shaft 28. It will be noted that the link i9 in the feed hole punch position cooperates directly with a link 38, which is reciprocated directly by a corresponding eccentric on the power shaft 28,- through the medium of an articulated joint 39. Thus every time that the power shaft 28 rotates, the feed hole punch I6 is lowered into the die block l2, to thereby perforate a tape positioned between the punch and die blocks H and |2.

The mechanism for advancing the tape, that is, the tape feed mechanism is actuated by a linkage including a toggle or knee action joint of the same kind as is present in the code punch linkages. The tape feed mechanism includes a tape feed wheel 4| having projecting teeth 42 which are designed to enter the feed holes pierced in the tape by the feed hole punch H5 in order to advance the tape forward (to the left in Fig. 2) between the punch and die blocks II and i2.

The tape feed wheel 4| is mounted on a rotat- 4| mesh with apertures in an idler wheel 49.

The tape is held against the tape feed wheel 4| by means of the meshing idler wheel 46 and thus 7 5| and is urged continuously towards the feed A blocking post 53' ratchet 41 by a spring 52. also prevents the feed pawl 48 from moving outwardly. The lever 5| is mounted pivotally on a fixed pivot shaft 54 and is also secured pivotally. to a link 56 similar to the'links 2| in the code] punch positions.

The link 56 is reciprocated vertically by means of a link 51 which is identical to the links 24 and which is driven by means of an eccentric 21 secured to the power shaft 28. A spring 58 tends to retain the joint between the links 5%: and 51 in a straightened or unbroken condition. A feed magnet 59, which is identical in structure with the selector magnets 33 is adapted to control the feed linkage by means of cooperation between its armature 34' and an arm 29 on the link 55. The arm 29.0n the link 5% is identical with the arm 29 on the code links 2|. When the magnet 59 is energized during a revolution of the shaft 28, the eccentric 21 associated with the link 51 is able to move the link 51 downwardly and the link 51 in turn moves the link 56 downwardly, the toggle joint being unbroken at this time. this manner the lever 5| pivots clockwise about its pivot shaft 54 andthereby raises the pawl 48 until the tooth 49 slips past a tooth on the ratchet 41. Thereafter during the upward movement of the links 56 and 51 as the shaft 28 rotates through its second half revolution, the pawl 48 is moved downwardly and with the tooth 49 being in engagement with the subsequent tooth on the ratchet 41, the pawl 48 moves the ratchet 41 one step. This motion of the ratchet 41 obviously is transferred to the feed wheel 4| so as to advance the tape by one indexing interval. If, at the conclusion of the stepping operation while the pawl 48 is in its lower position, the momentum of the ratchet 41 is sufiieient, the

second tooth on the ratchet 41, clockwise from' feed magnet 59 is de-energized during a revolution of the power shaft 28, its armature 34 actuates a link 3| so as to block the arm 29 on the link 56 and this causes the toggle joint between the links 55 and 51 to break. The mere breaking of the toggle joint between links 55 and 51 does not prevent all downward motion of the link 56 but is sufficient to prevent the pawl 48 from being raised sufficiently to permit the tooth 49 to slip over a tooth on the ratchet 41.

The feed mechanism is provided with the usual star wheel 6| mounted on the shaft 43, and detent 62 for restraining any movement of the feed wheel 4| except under the urging by the feed pawl 48.

The operation of the present reperforator will best be understood by considering also the schematic circuit diagram shown in Fig. 4. It is contemplated that when the reperforator is in operation, the power shaft 28 will be rotating continuously. Under this condition if no signals are to be reperforated in the tape the code mag nets 33 and the feed magnet 59 are de-energized. In such case the links 3| are all in blocking relation to the arms 29 and with each revolution of the eccentrics 21 the knee action joints break so that there will be no perforating of any code holes in the tape nor any advance of the tape by the tape feed mechanism. Inasmuch as the feed hole linkage which includes the link 39,

does'not have any knee action joint, the feed When the link 55 moves downwardly inhole punch l6 operates with each revolution'or the power shaft 28. It might appear, with the continuous operation of the feed hole punch it without advancing the tape, that the feed hole being continuously entered by the feed hole punch It would become frayed and enlarged; however, this has been found not to be the case to any noticeable degree, inasmuch as the tape is substantially restricted to one position. Therefore the shaft 28 can be operated continuously without making it necessary to include a clutch which is tripped off with each incoming signal.

A control circuit is shown schematically by reference number 63 and from the control circuit individual leads 65-69 extend to each-of the code magnets 33. The control circuit may include any means capable of energizing the leads 65-69 permutably. The energizing circuits for the selector magnets 33 and the tape feed magnet 59 then extend from positive battery, through the control circuit, permutably over leads 95--69 and through the selected magnets 33, over a lead 1|, through the feed magnet 59, to negative battery. Thus, upon the energize.- tion of any one or more of the selector magnets 33, the tape feed magnet 59 is also energized. With the circuit shown in Fig. 4 it is apparent that a blank signal generated by the control circuit would have no effect as such a signal consists of five-no-current impulses and consequently the stepping magnet 59 would not be energized to cause the tape to be advanced. It will be understood that it is readily within the realm of the present invention to also have the feed magnet 59 controlled individually in which case the tape could be stepped for a blank signal as well as any other signal.

Upon the permutable energization of the magnets 33, the punches l4 corresponding to the energized magnets 33 are permitted to perforate the tape, whereas the punches [4 corresponding to the de-energized magnets 33 are restrained from perforating the tape due to the action of the corresponding links 3i in breaking the knee action joints in the linkages of such punches. While the punches l4 and it are being forced towards the tape, the feed pawl 48 is being raised past a tooth on the ratchet 41 and thereafter as the punches l4 and 16 are being withdrawn from the tape by the upward movement of the corresponding linkages the feed pawl 43 is being lowered so as to advance the tape a step.

It is contemplated that numerous modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a high speed reperforator, a signal responsive multiple magnet selector, a plurality of punches, a plurality of linkages for actuating saidpunches, a separate one of said linkages being associated with each of said punches, a knee action joint in each of said linkages, power driven means for operating said linkages, each of said knee action joints being capable of breaking to thereby render its associated linkage ineffective to actuate the corresponding punch when said associated linkage is actuated by said power driven means, an arm formed on each of said linkages, and stop members individually controlled by said multiple magnet selector in accordance with signals received thereby for selectively engaging said arms to break said knee action joints and thereby disabling operation of said plurality of punches in accordance with said received signals.

2. In a magnetically controlled punch,"a die block having an aperture therein, a punch movable into said aperture in said die block for perforating material placed on said die block, a power driven eccentric, a linkage interconnecting said eccentric and said punch, a knee action joint in said linkage, an arm integrally formed on said linkage, a stop member adapted to engage said arm, and a control magnet associated with said stop member for controlling the operation of said punch in accordance with the conditions of energization and "de-energization of said magnet, said magnet permitting under one of said conditions said stop member to engage said arm to break said knee action joint and thereby render said power driven eccentric ineffective to move said punch into said aperture in said die block, said magnet being effective under the other of said conditions to move said stop member from engagement with said arm so that the knee action joint remains straight to thereby render said power driven eccentric effective to move said punch into said aperture in said die block.

3. In a magnetically controlled tape feed mechanism, a tape feed wheel for engaging a tape, a ratchet rotatable with said tape feed wheel, a pawl for stepping said ratchet, a power driven means, a linkage connecting said pawl to said power driven means, a knee action joint in said linkage, an arm formed on said linkage, a stop member adapted to engage said arm, and a control magnet associated with said knee action joint for controlling the operation of said tape feed wheel in accordance with the conditions or" energization and de-energization of said magnet, said control magnet permitting under one of said conditions said stop member to engage said arm to break said knee action joint and thereby render said power driven means in effective to actuate said pawl, said magnet being effective under the other of said conditions to cause said stop member to be moved from engagement with said arm to allow said knee action joint to remain straight to thereby render said power driven means eifective to actuate said pawl.

4. In a high speed reperforator, a plurality of reciprocable punches, power driven means, a plurality of linkages for connecting each of said punches individually to said power driven means, a toggle joint in each of said linkages for enabling the selective disablement of each of said punches, means to maintain said joints in a straightened condition, said toggle joints remaining in straightened condition being effective to enable the actuation of the associated punch by said power driven means, and signal responsive means for permutatably breaking said toggle joints from their straightened condition to thereby disable said punches selectively in accordance with signals controlling said signal responsive means.

5. In a high speed telegraph reperforator, a multiple magnet selector, a plurality of punches for perforating a message tape in accordance with signals received by said selector, power driven eccentrics for actuating said punches, knee action means interconnecting each of said punches with each of said power driven eccentrics for controlling the effect of said actuating eccentrics in accordance with signals received by said selector to thereby enable perforation of said message tape in accordance with said received signals, and means positioned by said selector for engaging and breaking said knee action means thereby causing permutative inactivation of said punches.

6. In a telegraph tape reperforator, selector means for receiving control signals, a plurality of code punches for perforating code holes in a message tape, a feed hole punch for perforating feed holes in said message tape, a tape feed mechanism for advancing said message tape, in-

dividual power driven eccentrics for actuating each of said punches and said feed mechanism, linkages individual to each of said eccentrics connected to the respective punches and tape feed means, a collar integrally formed with each linkage and adapted to surround and engage each eccentric, knee action joints in said linkages corresponding to said code punches and said tape feed mechanism, means associated with said selector means for breaking permutatably said knee action joints in the code punch linkages to thereby render the corresponding punches ineffective to perforate said message tape when actuated by their associated eccentric power means, and means selectively operable for breaking said knee action joint in said tape feed mechanism linkage to thereby selectively render said tape feed mechanism inoperative when actuated by its power driven eccentric.

7. In a perforating apparatus, a plurality of punches, a first link pivotally connected to each punch, a plurality of second links individually connected to each of said first links, a collar integrally formed on each of said second links, a power driven eccentric positioned within each collar, means for urging the first links in a predetermined direction, an arm extending from each of the second links to engage each of the first links to prevent movement in the predetermined direction whereby movement of the linkages by the eccentrics are imparted to the punches as straight line movement. and selectively controlled means for effecting a movement of the first and second links against the force exerted by the urging means.

8. In a perforating apparatus, a punch, a first link connected at one end to said punch, said first link having an arcuate slot formed in its free end, a second link having an arcuate end portion positioned within the arcuate slot, a third link having an arcuate slot formed therein, said second link having its other end formed in an arcuate fashion and positioned within the arcuate slot formed in the third link, means for urging the second link to pivot in the arcuate slot formed in the first link, and an arm extending from the third link and adapted to engage the second link to prevent the pivotal movement of the second link.

9. In a perforating apparatus, a plurality of punching means, means for continually and cyclically actuating the punching means to perforate a tape, means associated with each punching means for precluding the operation of each associated punching means, electromagnetic devices adapted to be energized to render said precluding means ineffective, tape feeding means, means cyclically operated by the cyclic means and the energization of at least one of said electromagnetic devices following actuation of the punching means for actuating the tape feeding means, and means controlled by the de-energization of all said electromagnetic devices for precluding operation of said tape advancing means during continued operation of the cyclic means;

i 10. Ina perforating apparatus, a pluralityof punches, a continually and cyclically operated power driven means, a plurality of articulated linkages individually interconnecting the power driven means with each individual punch, a device for advancing material, means interconnecting the power driven means and said device for cyclically actuating the device to advance material past the punches in one step increments, elements individually associated with each linkage for pivoting the linkages to prevent the operation of the punches, means for selectively removing a permutation of said elements in accordance with a permutative signal, and means for preventing operation of said material advancing device when none of said elements are removed during a cycle of operation of said power driven means.

11. In a perforator, a plurality of punches, a device for feeding tape past the punches, a power driven means, a plurality of knee action linkages connected to said power means, one of said linkages being connected to operate the tape feeding device while the rest of said linkages are individually connected to operate individual punches, means for maintaining each linkage in a straightened condition whereby the linkages actuated the punches and tape feeding device, a plurality of blocking means for engaging the individual linkages to dissipate the actuation of the power driven means by bending the knee action linkages, means for selectively moving a permutation of the blocking means associated with the punches in accordance with a permutation signal, and means for removing the blocking means asso-' ciated with the tape feeding device each time one of said other blocking means is removed.

12. In a perforator, a cyclically operable power driven means, a plurality of articulated linkages connected to said power driven means, means for maintaining said linkages in a straightened condition, a tape feeding device adapted to be actuated by one of said linkages, a plurality of punches individually connected to the remaining linkages, an arm extending from each of said linkages, blocking elements positioned to individually engage said arm to pivot said linkages when operated by the cyclically operated power driven means whereby said tape feeding device and punches are precluded from operation, means for selectively removing a permutation of blocking elements from the arms on linkages connected to said punches in accordance with a permutative signal, and means for removing the blocking element from the arm on the linkage associated with the tape feeding device when one or more of said other blocking elements are removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain dune 12,1924 

